The Mozambican President (PR), Filipe Nyusi, assured that the resumption of the natural gas exploration project in Area 1 of the Rovuma basin, led by the French multinational TotalEnergies, is a certainty’ and guarantees that the country “has already created the necessary conditions for TotalEnergies to resume the project,” said the head of state.
According to a Radio Moçambique (RM) publication, Nyusi emphasised that the suspension of the operation is not related to a lack of security. ‘The project is not abandoned. The fact that it hasn’t resumed so far has nothing to do with a lack of conditions,’ he said.
The PR made these statements while taking stock of his visit to the United States, where he took part in the Summit of the Future and led the high-level debate on the Miombo forest initiative in New York.
Regarding gas exploration in the Rovuma basin, Nyusi commented on the results of his meeting with Walter Kansteiner, vice-president of Exxon Mobil. ‘Exxon Mobil continues to point to 2026 as the year for the final investment decision in Area 4,’ he said. He also linked the lack of an official announcement from the company to the election periods in Mozambique and the United States.
The President also announced that on Wednesday (25) he would present an update on the hydrocarbon industry and the fight against terrorism. ‘We’re going to take stock of these issues as part of the 25 September celebrations,’ concluded Nyusi, referring to the Day of the Armed Defence Forces of Mozambique.
The operation was interrupted in 2021, when the company declared ‘force majeure’ due to the terrorist attacks in Mocímboa da Praia and Palma, in Cabo Delgado province.
